NHL Power Rankings

Here at isportsweb, we are pleased to give you the first weekly installment of the NHL power rankings. Check back each Monday for the latest poll!

RANK

TEAM (Record)

LW

MOVEMENT

THE SKINNY

1

St. Louis (44-14-6)

4-0-0

—

Since joining the Blues on February 28, Ryan Miller is 4-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .933 SV%. St. Louis continues to roll.

2

Boston (42-17-5)

4-0-0

—

Another impressive week for the Bruins, which is to say another assist for Rust Cohle. That their dominance is getting old is a tribute to their consistency.

3

Anaheim (43-14-7)

0-0-2

—

The Ducks have fallen off recently, but you can’t argue with their entire body of work. Big back-to-back with Colorado and L.A. to close out a busy week.

4

San Jose (41-17-7)

2-0-1

—

On the back of a 7-2-1 stretch, the Sharks have pulled within four points of the Ducks, the closest they’ve been since December 15. The race is back on in the Pacific Division.

5

Pittsburgh (42-17-4)

2-1-0

—

A juicy, potentially bloody, week for the Penguins, who play a pair of home-and-homes against the Flyers (Mon/Tue) and Capitals (Fri/Sat.) It’s National-TV Week in Pittsburgh.

6

Los Angeles (37-22-6)

3-0-0

—

Looking for the spark that lit the Kings’ current seven-game win streak? How ‘bout a 5-3 loss to Chicago on February 3 that woke up a sluggish offense. The Kings appear to be finding their scoring touch at just the right time, which means…uh-oh.

7

Colorado (41-18-5)

2-1-0

—

The high-flying Avs have won four of their past five, and are averaging 4.00 goals per game since the Olympic break. Despite opinion to the contrary early on, these guys are for real.

8

Chicago (38-13-14)

2-1-0

—

A seemingly low ranking for a team with 90 points, but a seemingly high one for a team with 27 losses when you add it all up. No team in the NHL has gained more points from losses this season than the Blackhawks.

9

Montreal (35-24-7)

1-3-0

—

A tough week in the win/loss column for the Habs, but an exceptional one in the managerial department. The addition of Thomas Vanek – for basically nothing – makes Montreal a legitimate Cup contender.

10

Minnesota (34-22-8)

1-1-1

—

With the deadline-day acquisition of Matt Moulson, the Wild, 5-1-1 in their past seven, boast a top-six forward group that can run with just about anyone in the league. Also, this.

11

Dallas (31-23-10)

3-1-0

—

Tyler Seguin (eight points in his last two games, yes, eight) and Jamie Benn have quietly emerged as one of the best scoring tandems in the NHL. Together, they have hauled the surging Stars back into the playoff race.

12

Toronto (34-23-8)

2-1-0

—

Three more games, four more points for Toronto last week. Despite allsignspointingtoward a collapse, the Leafs keep on winning.

13

N.Y. Rangers (35-26-4)

2-1-0

—

A sad day for Rangers fans on Wednesday, but a hopeful one, too. Ryan Callahan is gone, but Martin St. Louis makes the Blueshirts a real threat in the East.

14

Philadelphia (33-24-7)

1-0-1

—

Since guaranteeing the Flyers would make the playoffs on October 22, Claude Giroux has 23 goals and 38 assists, and his team is in sixth place in the East. That’s called making good on your word.

15

Columbus (33-26-5)

2-1-0

—

The Blue Jackets, in typical Blue Jackets fashion, have just one player among the league’s top-100 scorers. One! But, in typical Blue Jackets fashion, they have scrapped and clawed their way inside the playoff picture in the East.

16

Tampa Bay (34-24-6)

0-2-1

—

You hate to say Martin St. Louis did the Lightning wrong, but, uh, Martin St. Louis did the Lightning wrong. Steven Stamkos is back, but who’s going to dish him the puck?

17

Washington (30-25-10)

1-2-0

—

Finally time for Evgeny Kuznetsov to make his long-awaited Capitals debut. Will George McPhee’s latest Russian import go the way of Alexander Ovechkin or Alexander Semin?

18

Detroit (29-22-13)

1-2-1

—

Is this the year the Red Wings’ playoff streak comes to an end? Not if Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk have anything to say abou—. Ohh, right. Nevermind.

19

New Jersey (28-24-13)

2-1-0

—

The longest winning streak this season for the Devils is three games. But New Jersey, guided by the steady hand of Peter DeBour, continues to hang around.

20

Phoenix (29-24-11)

2-1-0

—

A third period letdown Saturday night in Washington spoiled the Coyotes’ bid for a perfect 3-0-0 week. Still, the effort was something to build on for a team fighting to stay alive.

21

Ottawa (28-25-11)

1-2-0

—

That January surge sure feels like a distant memory now. The Sens have fallen back into a win-one-lose-one routine over the past month or so and haven’t shown the moxie to make a late-season push.

22

Winnipeg (30-28-7)

0-2-1

—

The Jets, who had pulled within three points of the playoffs by the Olympic break, have been struck by some post-Sochi malaise. They have just two wins through their first five games since the break, and are fading fast in the West.

23

Nashville (26-28-10)

0-0-3

—

The Predators scored just two goals in three games last week, as the offense continues to sputter in Nashville. With 2.38 goals per game, the Preds rank 28th in the NHL.

24

Carolina (27-28-9)

1-2-1

—

The Canes got off to a great start last week with a road win over San Jose. But two heartbreaking losses to the Rangers and Devils may have spelled the end for Carolina.

25

Vancouver (29-27-10)

1-2-0

—

Time is running out for the Canucks, who continue to slip in the West. Although with Ryan Kesler requesting a trade, there are bigger things for Vancouver to worry about moving forward.

26

Florida (24-33-7)

1-2-0

—

Hats off to GM Dave Tallon for acquiring Roberto Luongo to fill a major team need. This season may be lost for the Panthers, but the future is brighter.

27

Edmonton (22-35-8)

2-1-0

—

A nice little week for the Oilers, capped off by the team’s acquisition of goalie Viktor Fasth. With Ben Scrivens also in tow, Edmonton might actually have some depth between the pipes moving forward. Hallelujah!!

28

Calgary (25-32-7)

2-1-0

—

Ditto the Flames, although a more dramatic fire sale was to be expected. Michael Cammalleri will likely walk in July, so you would have liked to see GM Brian Burke move him on deadline day.

29

N.Y. Islanders (24-33-9)

1-1-1

—

Man, were the Isles set up at the deadline. That’s why trading Thomas Vanek for a prospect and a pick feels like blowing a 5-0 lead late in the third.

30

Buffalo (19-37-8)

1-3-0

—

The cupboards are stocked for GM Tim Murray. With the first 18 picks in the 2014 draft, the Buffalo Sabres select…

About Will Burchfield

Will Burchfield is a junior communications major at Boston College. A fan of New York teams through and through, he grasps his own insignificance as a spectator. He continues to wear lucky shirts, sit in lucky seats and mumble lucky sayings.

Featured Writer

Born and raised in Southern New Jersey, I follow the NHL and other hockey leagues. I follow the Philadelphia Flyers as well as the St. Louis Blues. I go to American University in Washington DC. I major in International Studies and Russian Language, and I also play Division 3 Club ice hockey. Writing about current NHL topics since 2015.
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